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'It's the produce you have to be wary of': Doctors discuss Mardi Gras parade injuries

Updated January 29, 2018 at 5:02 PM;Posted January 29, 2018 at 3:25 PM

Looking up to the balconies in the hopes of catching Mardi Gras beads on Lundi Gras in the French Quarter of New Orleans on Monday, February 27, 2017. (Photo by Chris Granger, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)(CHRIS GRANGER)

Combine crowds, parade floats, flying projectiles and alcohol, it's no wonder injuries abound in the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras day.

I'd be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn't been hit in the face by a bag of beads or clawed at as the crowd presses forward trying to catch a shoe, a coconut, or a glittery plunger.

Dr. Ryan Truxillo, a family medicine physician with the Ochsner Health Center in Chalmette and Dr. John Firestone, a pediatrician with Children's Hospital After Hours Clinic in Metairie, talked about some of their experiences handling parade-related injuries and offered some advice for revelers.

What is your advice for parents with kids heading out to the parade route?

"Keep your eyes open and your head up on the parade route," said Dr Truxillo. "I've seen the occasional phone-related parade injury where someone is staring at their phone instead of keeping an eye out for projectiles getting thrown at their head."

Anecdotally he said that most eye and head related injuries from flying beads aren't serious.

"It's the produce you have to be wary of," he said, referring to parades such as the St. Patrick's Day Parade where cabbage is thrown.

"I remember having to suture a lacerated eyebrow once when someone got hit really hard by a potato," he said.

Kids and Mardi Gras beads

"Just like how people are pulling beads from oak trees and bushes after Mardi Gras, pediatricians in New Orleans are pulling beads out of ears and noses for weeks afterwards," said Dr. Firestone.

He is the director of the Children's Hospital After Hours Clinic, 3040 33rd St. in Metairie, which has decided to stay open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mardi Gras Day.

"It's easy to forget how easily those necklaces can be pulled apart," he said. "Even a month after Mardi Gras we still see kids coming in with beads in their noses and ears."

As a former rider in the Krewe of Alla, he said he learned the hard way to remember to throw to parents and not to small children.

"It's always easy to underestimate a kid's ability to catch something. You try your best to make sure no one gets hit in the face. I have seen an occasional corneal abrasion," he said.

What are some of the common injuries you see?

Twisted ankles and sunburns top some of the most frequently seen injuries post-parades. Sunburns are possible even on overcast days, said Dr. Firestone, who reminded people to bring sunblock if they decide to venture out.

"My biggest fear was always kids getting too close to the floats," said Dr. Firestone. "Now that we have triple stacker floats in some parades, I just want kids to know "get back from the float we can see you better. Don't come up to the float!" he said.

He added that dancers and people marching in the parade should remember to hydrate. The uptown route is six miles, which presents its unique challenges, Dr. Firestone said.

"Most people aren't used to walking those distances. I don't know how the dancers do it. Make sure to take care of your feet when you get home," he said.

Crowds and the flu

Louisiana (and much of the United States) is in the midst of an especially bad flu season, with widespread cases being reported in 39 states including Louisiana according to the Centers for Disease Control Prevention.

Parade-goers should remember to wash their hands, bring hand sanitizer and stay away from crowds if they are not feeling well, said Dr. Truxillo.

"We don't need to add to what already is a bad situation. If you're sick, or getting sick, stay home," he said.

Maria Clark covers healthcare and immigration for NOLA.com | The Times Picayune and NOLA Mundo. Reach her at mclark@nola.com or 504.258.5306. .